Think you can make the best adobo? Come down to Texas and join this contest

Adobo is the unofficial national dish, but the Adobo Throwdown in Schertz, Texas is trying to find who can make the best | Photo by Sam Lim for Nolisoli.ph

There’s a food war happening in Texas this weekend. And the category is, adobo.

Unofficially hailed as the Philippines’ national dish, adobo is so easily recognizable but also widely contested because of the many versions it can take. It can use pork, chicken, or even seafood; some make it more sour, while others prefer it drier rather than more soupy.

But it all boils down to preference, and after much contention (to the point that even the government once planned to standardize the recipe), the bottom line is, we can agree to disagree when it comes to how exactly one makes the ubiquitous adobo.

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But that also won’t stop Filipinos from competing to see who can make the best version of the dish.

This Aug. 5 and 6, home cooks and professionals alike are invited to join the Adobo Throwdown, a cooking competition and food expo spotlighting not just adobo but Filipino cuisine as a whole. The event will also feature programs and performances that spotlight local music and dance.

The throwdown, which started as a community festival called AdoboFest in downtown San Antonio in 2019, has evolved into the bigger Adobo Throwdown it is today. This year, it is set to take place at the Schertz Civic Center in Schertz, Texas.

Aside from the adobo competition, there will also be other cooking contests happening during the expo. Interested cooks can also join the lumpia, ube dessert, and Filipino barbecue competitions.

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But the event isn’t just about competing in the kitchen. There’s food for both the body and the spirit here because various Filipino food vendors are making their dishes available to buy and sample.

All proceeds of the food expo will also go to the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce – Central Texas Region Humanitarian Projects, which includes Art Relief Mobile Kitchen, a volunteer group that provides hot meals for families affected by disasters in the Philippines.

Tickets to the Adobo Throwdown and Food Expo are available at $10 for a single day entry, or $17 for the whole weekend.